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Ankeny Jaycees Support the MECC
The Ankeny Jaycees gave the MECC a grant that was matched by Community CPA and Associates to provide a tax seminar and tax preparation services to MECC members. The MECC would like to thank the Ankeny Jaycees and Community CPA and Associates for their generosity.
Senator Harkin to speak at community housing event
Senator Harkin will recognize community housing efforts in Polk County on October 18th at 11:00 AM. The location is at a home that the Polk County Public Works is rehabilitating-1303 College in Des Moines. Through a competitive bid process, MECC member company PRIMO Construction won the bid and is performing the extensive remodeling. Please join us to recognize the efforts to strengthen community housing and minority contractors on October 18th.
MECC Contractors Weatherize youth home
Minority Enterprise Construction Council (MECC) alumni Antonio Williams, Ken Williams and Larry Gatewood formed G & W construction in 2005 to weatherize and rehabilitate homes. Of the many bids that G & W has been awarded one has been particularly rewarding work for the partners and their sub-contractors. G & W are in the process of weatherizing Promise House, part of the Freedom for Youth ministries initiative. The Promise House is a new transitional housing program funded by private donors that raised $100,000 to purchase the home as well as many in-kind donations to furnish the home.
The Promise House is a compliment to Freedom’s existing daytime drop-in center that served 250 youth in 2005. Whereas the Freedom Center focuses on relationship building the Promise House will be geared toward developing skills and a healthy lifestyle. Some of the teens at the Freedom Center who are working hard to change will be eligible to live at the Promise House. Freedom for Youth is searching for new ways to find eligible youth for the house. They are in contact with local agencies to reach the youth who “age out” of foster care at age eighteen as well as working with local jail chaplains to identify youth who are motivated to change when they are released.
Tom Beytien and his wife Collette are the live-in house parents of the home; they commented how drafty and cool the home was prior to the weatherization with utility bills that topped $750 per month. Beytien feels that the weatherization “is a 100% improvement for the home” he feels that youth will be more comfortable in the home now. Beytien noted that the home is a “miracle of community effort with hundreds of hands helping it.” Freedom House has served eight youth since opening six months ago.
Gatewood along with sub-contractor and MECC alumni Tim Lee were finishing up on the home and commented that this was the largest home they had worked on yet. Although the job took longer than expected to finish due to the size of the house, the work was rewarding and they know it will help the ministry.
- On February 14th, the Polk County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve funding for MECC for 2006! MECC wishes to express its thanks and appreciation to the Board for continued funding.
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